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Expedia Launches Highly Customized Experiences Such as Movie Inspired Trips Including 'Live Like A Spy,' Visiting James Bond Film Sets and 'Mysteries In Art,' With After-Hours Tours of the Vatican Museums

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia.com® (NASDAQ: EXPE), the world's leading online travel agency, today announced it has launched two compelling new ways for travelers to plan and purchase travel. Expedia® Experiences are inspirational vacation packages that combine exclusive products and services to create high-end, unique and customized theme vacations for Expedia® customers. The company has also launched Theme Stores, designed to provide travelers with an inspirational experience according to their personal travel interests, such as family trips, romantic getaways or beach destinations.

Expedia Experiences are a collection of once-in-a-lifetime vacation packages that bring together a complete trip, including flight, hotel and activities inspired by unique themes. For example, travelers looking for a luxurious and glamorous experience can book an Expedia "Fall in Love in Tahiti" experience, which includes a flight to Tahiti, a stay in an over-water villa in Bora Bora, and time at Le Taha'a Private Island Resort, coupled with private activities such as gourmet meals and spa treatments. Adventurous travelers can "Live Like a Spy" by inhabiting the home of Bond creator Ian Fleming, visiting Bond film sets and cruising to nearby private islands via cigar boat for private snorkeling and personal chef prepared meals. Expedia Experiences also offer vacations that are attainable on any budget, including tickets to the fascinating Le Reve at the Wynn and unique adventures exploring the sandstone pinnacles in Utah and Arizona's national parks. All Expedia Experiences can be accessed at http://www.expedia.com/experiences.

"We are excited to deliver a world of travel options in a way that helps consumers discover the possibilities and make their travel dreams a reality," says Sally McKenzie, General Manager, Expedia.com. "Expedia Experiences demonstrates that Expedia is more than just a booking agent -- we are a full-service travel agency, aimed at providing personalized experiences backed by world-class service."

Like Expedia Experiences, Theme Stores will also capture the imagination of the traveler and provide them an alternative way to become inspired when planning a vacation. Theme Stores, which include Family, Romance, Beach, Luxury, Golf & Spa, and Adventure themes, give travelers comprehensive content, rich imagery and vacation recommendations according to their personal preferences and travel goals, making shopping and planning for travel much more intuitive and relevant to the traveler.

"Expedia continues to provide customers with what they want, when, where and how they want it by offering new and innovative products. We are focused on developing significant, personal relationships with our travelers by offering them the ability to shop for travel in a way that best suits them," added McKenzie.

Other recently launched site features and enhancements that extend Expedia's focus on delivering customers personalized service include Personal Trip Guide, RSS travel alerts, Fare Alert and Gas Locator. With these features and the industry leading Expedia®Best Price Guarantee, customers can be confident that they are receiving the best products for their needs at the best price.

About Expedia.com

Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel provider, helping more than 25 million travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/) aims to provide personalized service, the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia® Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com promises to offer to its customers the best rates available online for all types of travel, making it the most comprehensive customer guarantee in online travel. Expedia.com is an operating company of Expedia, Inc.

NOTE: Expedia, Expedia.com, Experiences by Expedia, and Airplane Design mark are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners..